10 Shot
by Fleeting Vapor
Summary: 10 minute writing sessions for Noblesse. It may contain any character, situation, genre, rating, ect. Ongoing.
1. Chapter 1

I will start with an explanation. A "10 Shot" is a 10 minute writing session. I must use the prompt given as the first sentence (which I have in bold), and I have 10 minutes to write a story based on that line. After the time is up, I cannot edit the story. I intend to post the 10 shots every five stories. (If you would like to participate, PM me for the monthly prompt list.) Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Noblesse isn't mine.

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**May 17**

**Her hands felt cold**, exposed to the frigid air, and the shackles around her wrists strapped them to the wall above her head so that the concrete constantly rubbed against her flesh. There was, she was certain of it, a trail of water dripping from somewhere above that splattered on the metal cuffs and froze into ice before it ever reached her hands. Suyi looked up, searching the darkness for the source of the water, but quickly lowered her head with a sigh. It made no difference. She could see nothing in the blackness of this room, but what she could hear frightened her from the shadows.

**May 18**

**The glass shattered, casting a wave of shards across the floor. **Every eye watched until the last sliver of glass stilled to a stop, and then in unison, they turned anxiously toward the assailant. Frankenstein stood with his back to them. His head bowed until his chin rested against his chest, and his fingers covered the grimace on his face. He lowered his hand again, placing it flat on the countertop alongside his other hand and spread his fingers out to keep them from clenching. Slowly, intentionally drawing out the length of time, he exhaled and inhaled. His shoulders relaxed, and his head rose again. Suddenly, his hand clasped another cup, and he threw it to the floor.

**May 19**

"**Let go!"**

The words were filled with force, more anguish than they were accustomed to, and it was unlike him or anyone else to give him a command. Rai's gaze rose from the teacup that was absentmindedly suspended in midair and met the eyes of the speaker.

Tao bit his lip, already regretting what he had said but too afraid to back down now. He eased into the chair perpendicular to Rai and turned toward him so that their knees nearly touched. He didn't look up as he spoke, and a new vulnerability seeped into his words as he softened his voice, adding to it the utmost respect. "Please, you have to let go. We talked about it, and we don't want you to protect us anymore. That is our will."

Rai looked away from him and back to Frankenstein. The man glanced down, neither admitting nor denying that he had been aware of this decision, but regardless of his silence, it was clear that he, too, supported the request. "I want…" He hesitated but finally looked up. "I want you to live."

**May 20**

**It wasn't that it was hard to say.** They had already played their games, dancing along the edge of the truth while neither disclosing answers nor asking direct questions. He had considered himself a master of these banters, dropping in just enough of a hint to imply the idea while the real meaning went unsaid, and his opponent, too, matched him in this skill. More than matched. The man excelled at it. To him, this seemed nothing more than child's play, and he met every word with that ever present smile.

Crombel frowned, concealing the look behind folded hands, and glared at the man over his fingers. He had been toyed with enough. "I think it is time to get to the point."

The man met his gaze with careless blue eyes. "Are you finally ready to tell me why you asked to meet with me?"

His glare deepened, but he smoothed it back, once again hiding his thoughts. He had revealed too much with that expression. "Just who are you?"

"Who am I?" The man's smile deepened as if this were a joke to him. "I am the chairman of Ye Ran."

**May 21**

**The phone rang at 2am. **It was late, he knew, and with each unanswered ring, his hesitation bludgeoned until he could taste the anxiety. He nervously paced the floor next to his bed and flipped on the lights as if destroying the darkness would somehow lesson his uneasiness. Shinwoo took a deep breath, trying to still his heart, but each beat pounded against his chest as if trying to explode. He was too nervous to do this, not at this hour, but if there was a chance that she would answer his call…

No. He pulled the phone away from his ear. It was too late to do this. He couldn't wake her up. His fingers moved begrudgingly to end the call and froze when he saw the seconds ticking away on the screen. He brought the phone to his ear again and listened for a moment before he realized that she must have already said hello.

Shinwoo cleared his voice. "Seira, I couldn't sleep. I thought you may be up, too."

"Who is this?" A male voice hissed angrily.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Noblesse isn't mine.

* * *

**22**

"**After all this time, all these years apart, you show up here**. I don't know what you were thinking, but coming here now isn't of any benefit to you." Crombel fixed his glasses, a gesture for which he had a particular distaste, and glared over the rims at the man. "I have more important experiments to commence at the moment. I have no use for a runaway."

"Runaway, sir?" M-21 stood at perfect attention and did not waver even as he repeated the word. "I was on your secret assignment. I have come to give you my report."

"You know that you were never on my assignment." He folded his hands and suspiciously glanced to the door. "What is your purpose here?"

"Never on your assignment?" A second voice said, and the fifth elder appeared at once. "How interesting. That is not what the information that you provided said."

**23**

**He had sworn to himself that he would never do this, not again**, but this decision had been made against his wishes. It had come down from the top and had been delivered to him by the chairman himself. That man had happily disregarded all of his concerns and protests with light, bell-like laughter and a swift comment of reassurance that had left even him believing that just one more time wouldn't be so bad. But now as he was standing here, facing the result of this decision, he knew that the chairman's confidence in him would be put to the test.

Pedro folded his massive arms over his chest and glared down at the boy who smugly glared back up at him. He had sworn never to accept another transfer student, but here the child stood, arrogantly defying him. "Introduce yourself to the class." He spit the words out with all the restraint that his profession demanded. "At least your name. Even Regis and Seira said that much."

That comment seemed to finally persuade him, and he looked over, meeting the girl's eyes. "Rael Kertia."

**24**

**His aura fluctuated unevenly**, showing the first sign of weakness-the first chance for me to dart in past his defenses and catch him off guard. No, never off guard. He knows my ways. He always sees me coming, but he is helpless to hold me back. His attention is elsewhere, concentrating on the more prominent battle while I come at him again and again, chipping away his resistance a little at a time. He looses control slowly. I need to wear him down. Once he is tired, once he realizes that he needs my strength, he will call upon me on his own, and I will lend myself to him. I do not lose energy the way he does. My soul will outlast his. My hands reach out to him, covering his arms and burning his flesh with my touch. He resists me, but he needs me, As long as he calls out to me, I will take over him. Call my name, Frankenstein. I will answer your call, and you will answer mine.

**25**

**His eyes opened to a dismal scene, and he knew this mustn't be-this couldn't be-real. ** Soldiers swooped in through an alleyway to his left, and he silently moved right. He watched himself as if he were outside of his body. He could not feel the gun in his hands; He could not sense his body moving, but he saw himself react. Rounds of fire rang above him as snipers marked their targets with red lines of light. This couldn't be real, but his sight told him otherwise. He began to move again, searching for the one that he had come here to assist, and he found the Noblesse standing alone in a clearing, his guard down as if the destruction around him was nothing but a dream. An enemy moved behind him, lifting his weapon and-

And this was what he had come here for! To assist the Noblesse! Karias stepped in and defended the man.

"NOOOO!" Shinwoo shouted, throwing the controller down. "You killed me on your first time!"

**26**

**Surgical tools laid neatly spread across the counter top**, lined up from tip to end as if forming the cars of a train. He picked up what must be the caboose and turned it perpendicular, reorganizing it just as he had left it. The next car immediately followed and- He tossed it down without care. The tools were no longer disinfected. There was no reason to adjust them now.

He clasped his hands behind his back and looked down his nose at the offender with as foreboding a stance as a thin, old man could muster. "Laboratories are not for play."

The girl smiled up at him, unashamed that he had caught her wearing one of his spare lab coats. "But I want to play what you're playing."

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A/N: I want to extend #24 a little bit longer. A story from Dark Spears POV would be awesome. Oh, and #26 is about the 9th elder and Ingrid if you haven't figured that out.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Noblesse isn't mine.

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**27**  
**The rope twisted around his arm, drawing tighter as his weight pulled it taut,** and he looked to the others to assure himself that they were also struggling just as much as himself. He knew that he oughtn't think that way. He did not wish to see the children suffer, but he also didn't want to face this humiliation alone.

The girls had somehow managed to remain free while the boys entangled their ropes until they were captive to these binds. Shinwoo tried to break the tie rather than remove it, and Yuna swept in to assist him before he did so. Next to him, Rai also held a rope between his fingers, somehow making the simple string look magnificent as it formed a cup and saucer.

Regis untangled his wrist and once again looped the string over his pinkies and thumbs. Even if is killed him, he would accomplish cat's cradle.

**28**a  
**She set the box on the table without a word.** It wasn't like her to fall silent, but she somehow couldn't bring herself to say the words. She couldn't have spoken them even if she had tried. Her tongue felt thick and dry and seemed to stick to the roof of her mouth, and a lump formed in her throat, cutting off her voice. She swallowed, angrily attempting to choke it down, and tried to prepare herself for his reaction, whatever it may be. The moment he saw the box, he would know her question, and he looked up at her as if amused.

Sangeen reached into his pocket and withdrew his own box. His fingers gracefully lifted the lid in a manner much more elegant than her presentation, and he knelt down on one knee. "I had hoped that I would be the one to ask you."

**28**b  
**She set the box on the table without a word,** and immediately stepped back with her feet together and her fist clenched over her heart as she lowered her head into a proper bow. Her hair slipped over her shoulders a few strands at a time, blocking him from her vision, and Seira rose again after what seemed to be a respectful delay. She had dressed formally for this, needlessly so, and her black, Lukedonian robes felt too thick and heavy for the heat of summer. Alloweing her hand to gradually drift down to her side, she tried to push her discomfort from her mind and returned her attention to the box.

It was already open, delicately balancing in the palm of his hand, and he looked to her for an explanation although he must have already known what she had given him and why.

She nodded, obliging this unspoken inquiry with a simple answer. "I know it is not as powerful as the seals that Frankenstein has made for you, but I thought you may appreciate the color."

**29**  
**Laughter rings from behind the closed door, but now that it has faded again, it feels more like a shrill than anything gleeful in the silence of its wake.** I still my breath until I am perfectly motionless, listening as the eerie cry comes again, and this time the sound separates into two voices. The first one overflows with ecstasy, and the second is hollowed by anguish. The strain of it reverberates through my room until it reaches into the depths of my chest. My heart is pounding, more fearful than it should be, and my body is covered by a cold sweat. The scream must have woken me from a nightmare that can no longer recall. Slowly, I work my limbs from beneath my blanket and convince myself to stand. My hair feels damp against my back, but I ignore it as I stumble through the hallway and into the break room where I know Yuizi is waiting for me. (Roddin POV)

**30**  
**It was a desperate attempt. ** I knew that from the start, but it did nothing to stop my hand from moving as if on its own accord. My fingers latch onto the back of his jacket, bunching the fabric into the palm of my hand, and my gaze transfixes on the floor, too ashamed and cowardly to look up at him. The material pulls for just a second before he feels the restraint and turns back to me. He remains silent, waiting patiently for me to explain, and I force myself to say something. "Don't."

The voice is weak and pitiful, and it takes a long moment for me to realize that it belongs to me. I can't imagine his reaction to this sound, and so I finally look up to catch his expression. His eyes are crimson, softening into mauve where they catch the light and darkening into violet in the deepest shadows. His lips are turned up in a sad smile. "I will not be a long time."

He steps away from me, gently pulling the fabric from my fingers, and I release my hold. My shame deepens, realizing what I had forced him to say. His last words were the first time he had lied to me. (Anyone's POV on Rai)

**31**  
**He couldn't move. ** Frankenstein was clever enough to realize when he was being avoided, and leaving the room as soon as he entered would definitely tip him off. Takeo glanced toward the balcony but quickly cast that escape from his thoughts. He would have to get used to this if he intended to live here.

Frankenstein sat down across from him, setting his coffee on the tabletop, and casually flipped through the newspaper without looking up at him. "Where have the children taken me master?"

Takeo shook his head.

"I see." His eyes moved as he scanned the page. "And M-21?"

"He left."

"Tao…"

"Shopping." Takeo answered quickly, thankful that he knew at least on answer.

"So, no one's home?"

Takeo nodded awkwardly and struggled to come up with something to talk about.

"Well," Frankenstein stood, gathering his things, "I suppose I have work to do…"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Noblesse isn't mine.

A/N: I am very behind with these, and I was quite lazy while trying to catch up.

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**June **

1

**"It is my burden to bear." **Frankenstein whispered to himself, to no one, to anyone, to the very walls of the abandoned mansion. He couldn't define to who he had spoken the words but only that the thought must be said aloud. He pressed his lips, listening to the silence that answered and repeated the line again, louder this time, directly to the forsaken window. "This is my burden to bear, and I will bear it alone. I will find you."

2

**Nothing could be done, not anymore. **The teacup was beyond repair even if he had managed to collect all of the pieces, which he had not, and glue seeped from between the cracks where he had painstakingly stuck the broken fragments together. He had even gone to the trouble of using extra glue to fill the gaps where the absent shards left holes, and the extra care he had attributed to this had left it permanently attached to the coffee table. The unnaturally disfigured shape looked as if it was about to collapse in upon itself at any moment, and pride filled his eyes as he looked up at Frankenstein. "I have mended the teacup."

Frankenstein nodded speechlessly, a bewildered expression captivated his face.

**3**

**The man slapped handcuffs around his wrists, tightening them until he was certain that he couldn't escape**, and he glared back at Tao with accusing eyes. "I'm not going to give you the key." He faced forward again so that his nose rubbed against the statue ate the front gate and began to chant, "I am the master of my fate! I am the captain of my soul!"

Crowds had already began to form long before this, but the man's loud voice drew even more children. Tao waved them off, telling them to hurry to class, but none of them left the scene. He had to take care of this quickly before Frankenstein-

Frankenstein cut through the students and stopped in toe narrow clearing that Tao had managed to uphold. "What is the meaning of this?"

Tao swallowed hard. "I think he's protesting."

"Protesting here? Why haven't you taken care of this?"

"You see…" He allowed his gaze to drift to the students.

Frankenstein glanced back at the surrounding children and frowned sternly. "Class has already started." They fled into the building, and he waited until the last one disappeared before slowly starting to follow. "Now take care of this…_properly_."

**4**

**The flowers slipped through her fingers, dropping one by one, **and landed in a disheveled heap on the ground. She stared down at the large purple blooms, and the hot tears that threatened to spill over her eyelids had nothing to do with the droplets of blood forming on her hand. She blinked them back, already aware that the entire class was watching her and tried to force a laugh as if she were fine, as if the prank didn't bother her, but the sound caught in her throat with a awful squeak.

One of the flowers began to move, and her gaze trailed down it's stem until she reached Regis' hand. Her eyes immediately jumped to his face, afraid to see the pity that must be hidden there, but his expression was full of anger. He looked past her to one of the boys in the class, and his brown deepened into a scowl. "Do you think it is honorable to give a girl thistles? Only roses may have thorns. Bring the proper flower tomorrow."

**5**

**It was darker than he had expected. **The light brown was now a smoldering black, and smoke rolled off them in a billowing cloud the moment he pulled them out of the oven. Urokai lovingly pried the cookies from the sheet and arranged them in a burnt pile next to a likewise poorly prepared cup of tea. Both of these he set before Zarga and looked at the man expectantly.

Zarga hesitantly took a cookie from the plate and bit off a tiny piece. "It's a bit… hard."

"The ones Frankenstein made were crunchy." Urokai eagerly pushed the teacup forward. "Try it with this. They go together."

Reluctantly, he brought the cup to his lips and forced himself to take a small sip. "It's…"

"Yes?"

"It's an… interesting flavor?"

"They go together well, don't they?"

"Their tastes certainly are on the same level…"

**6 **

**"This is your fault." **The words sounded more like a question than an accusation as they echoed unanswered through the empty chamber, swallowed by the endless silence. She rolled them on her tongue, speaking each syllable slowly and clearly as if this method of pronunciation would somehow force understanding into her mind. She couldn't believe it, not after she had seen the truth with her own eyes, not after she had met the one she had accused in this very room. Her hand touched the box that enclosed her father, desperate for an explanation, one last message to make things clear, but nothing changed. He was true to the saying "as silent as the grave," and there would be no message left to her this time. If he had know, if he had seen this coming, why would he let himself be betrayed? And yet, she could not believe that this could be his fault. If not his, then it must be hers.

**7 **

**The fire alarm rang.**

Of all the cameras, of all the sensors, of all the security, it was the fire alarm that gave them away. Tao closed his eyes, bringing his head down until it rested in his keyboard, and felt his hair slide away from the back of his neck. He didn't raise his head again, not even as Frankenstein entered the room with a scowl. Instead, he offered a mumbled apology that drowned in the folds of his arms. The others were calling to him through the headset, demanding to know what went wrong, and he finally admitted, "I messed up." (7min)

**8 **

**Nothing could have surpassed this. **His smile grew as he set the sword in place and allowed the resonance of his own power to fill the vacant shrine. He would regret it, yes, to the end of his days that he could not live to see the result of his mischief. Whether the intended wielder found it first or that pesky peacock made little difference in the end. His laughter echoed from the walls. He may not be present to see their reactions, but he couldn't leave them without one last memory of him, to that peacock's despair, he was sure. (7min)

**9 **

**If not for the slippers, he'd be dead. **Tao held out the pair as one last defense between him and the glowing darkness that radiated from the boss. The aura slipped back enough to keep from corroding the pink fabric, and this small loss of ground gave him enough room to turn the tables. Tao swung open the door and dashed outside, carrying the slippers with him. It was reckless, he knew, but without Rai's slippers, Frankenstein would have killed him. He just needed to think of a plan before Frankenstein bought Rai a new pair. (5min)

**8 **

**Nothing could have surpassed this. **Nothing. He repeated this last word to himself over and over. Nothing was worse than this. The children looked down, each to them staring at their feet, the floor, the mess, and any location that didn't require them to meet his eyes. The knew what they had done.

"We couldn't sleep." Shinwoo was the first to speak, the bravest. "We didn't mean to…"

"Clean this." Frankenstein, like the children, couldn't bring himself to look into their faces. Lotion, make up, foundation, mascara, tooth paste, sunscreen. Cat litter. The others he could explain. He could rationalize that the products had belonged to the girls, but the cat litter? There was no reason for any of them to have that. His eyes darted from product to product, claiming a lid for each container until they landed on an open bottle of Tao's fingernail polish. Black smears lined the side of the cabinet, marking the worst of the contents dumped out onto the floor.

Ikhan was on his knees, scooping the cat litter into a dustpan. The lotion ground it into the carpet far more thoroughly than the powder would have alone. "Are you mad?"

His eyes finally lifted from the disaster. The children now stared at him with uncertain expressions. Frankenstein glanced at his own face in the mirror. It looked solemn, serious, but surprisingly not angry. Exhausted. Disappointed, perhaps. He couldn't force a smile for them this time. He turned away, allowing them to continue with this task.

"Do you…" It was Yuna that spoke, her voice hesitant. "Do you still like us."

The question stopped him, the answer simple. "Of course I still like you."

**10 **

**A package came in the mail** and ticked suspiciously. Tao immediately placed the school on lockdown, and M-21 cleared the children from one classroom at a time. Takeo was on the phone with the boss, explaining the situation, as Tao hovered over the box. It was wrapped in simple brown paper, addressed to the chairman of Ye Ran, and seemed innocent enough at first glance… except for the ticking.

"All clear." M-21 announced though the headset. He had stayed outside with the children, all of which were not clustered on the farthest corner of the ball fields.

"Alright," Tao breathed and carefully sliced though the first layer of paper. "I'll have to disarm this bomb." He takes a deep breath and cuts though the tape that held the cardboard folds in place. "It's been awhile since I've tried something like this…"

**11 **

**He walked into the office and set the disciplinary note on the desktop **as a half turned smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Hi, boss."

Frankenstein looked up from his paper, eyed him dully, and returned to reading with a flat disinterest. "What have you done?"

"I.. Ha ha…" Tao choked back a nervous laugh and forced himself not to avoid eye contact. The attempt was unsuccessful. He found himself staring at the note. "It wasn't me this time. There was an incident with a… disorderly… with a… misbehaving… there was a misunderstanding with a student—a good student—that wasn't listening to the teacher and-"

"Enough." Frankenstein took the note. "Who was it?"

Tao waited as Frankenstein scanned the paper, and his expression hardened as the air began to sting his skin. "It was _him._"

**12 **

**"Why can't things ever go as planned?" **Roctis muttered into his hands and let the words fall silent as suddenly as they had come. The green screens of now vacant monitors provided the only light in the room, and if _they_ were contacted, they would know that he had failed. The noblesse was alive. Is alive. (4min)

**13 **

**"Don't be alarmed." **

Takeo bit his tongue, holding back his words as he glared at Tao.

M-21 and Regis weren't as gracious, and it was the latter that spoke first. "I wasn't until you said that!"

"Just stand still. It has made contact with your jacket." Tao tipped toed toward him slowly, lowering his voice until it was almost too soft to be heard. "Don't move…"

Regis was a statue.

"What is it?" M-21 asked, unconsciously whispering as well. His hands spread out, ready to transform at the first sign of danger.

Takeo's eyes narrowed, still glaring.

"Almost…" Tao held his breath and lifted his fingers close to Regis' shoulder. "M-21, give me some back up in case it gets away."

"On it." M-21 appeared at his side. "What do you see?"

"Tao," Takeo frowned, "just smash the spider."

**14 **

**It wasn't like him to be shy, **and it certainly wasn't like him to mope around on some park bench like he was channeling the inner workings of M-21. Tao rolled his head back and stared into the whitewashed sky—a blue so thin that he couldn't tell whether clouds filled it or the azure had been drained from the atmosphere. His eyes slipped close to cut off the sight. It had been awhile since he felt this way.

Motion stirred beside him, the sudden arrival of second body. A book bag crashed at his feet, smacking onto the side of his leg, as the other person landed in the seat, and his back slammed into the bench as he also stared into the sky.

Tao cracked his eyes slightly to look over at Ikhan, but the boy didn't return the gaze. Ikhan only sighed and tucked his arms behind his head like a cushion. "You can feel it, too," he says, "the loneliness."

**15 **

**The letter was unsigned**, but it was unlike anyone to say his name, even himself. He set the quill down next to the ink and waited as the delicate arches of his scroll dried in the evening air. He understood the lord's inclination, his insistence, upon using his daughter's name. The man's own name had long been forgotten, and with it, the intimacy of friendship. Such was the price he must bear, and like the lord, he also wished his name to be remembered beyond the title by which his servant called him. And yet, his name disappeared over the years until it merely sounded on their lips as _he._ The letter remained unsigned, unnamed, even by his own hand.

**16 **

**If anyone knew, he would be ashamed. **Even though they didn't know, he was ashamed. He paced outside the door of Frankenstein's office far too frantically to go unnoticed by the man. He must know. Surely he knew. Failing to mention it was just a means to push him into a confession. Regis took a deep breath, and his hands shook as he tapped his knuckles against the door. An unbearably long moment passed, his knock unanswered, and when he could wait no more, he finally opened the door.

"Frankenstein, I forgot to…" The room was empty. Regis pulled the door shut and ran to the living room. He still had time to clean it before Frankenstein found out that he had forgotten his duties. (6min)

**17 **

**Every last one of the children grinned at him mischievously,** filling him with a fear far greater than any enemy he had ever faced. He stepped back, striking the palm of Takeo's uplifted hand, and Tao, just as mischievous as the children, clamped a hand down on his shoulder with a frighteningly delighted smile. "You can't back out of this now. You said that whatever goes, remember."

M-21's eyes darted over to him and tried to quell the state of panic that must have filled them. "I'm not-"

"You promised." Shinwoo teetered, enjoying this far too much.

"You did make a promise." Takeo added solemnly, regretfully. He didn't want to be involved in this. "You should keep it." (7-8min)

**18 **

**They never agreed on anything. **Twelve leaders. Now thirteen. (Couple seconds.)

**19**

** She never had been one to do dangerous things**, but Shinwoo's bravado and, quite frankly, his jocularity spurred her on. When he ran, she followed, and they both brushed death as the ground disappeared under their feet. They were airborne, falling. The water reached up to catch their bodies and pulled them deeper as the waves of their splashes rained down on them. The current pushed her away from him. His voice rang out, unclear under water. Her fingers reached for him, grabbing nothing. She had never been one to do dangerous things, jumping from the bridge into the river. She had never thought they would die like this.

**20 **

**Music began to play **as the bow slid across the strings, sometimes quickly as the notes resonated with alacrity and sometimes slowly as the tune transformed into lugubrious tones. All the while, he played with his eyes closed, only opening then just enough to part his lashes before they lowered again. The bow sang one final note and faded into silence. Frankenstein removed the violin from under his chin and bowed deeply to his master. (8min)

**21 **

**The joke fell flat. **More precisely, the joke _book _fell flat. It landed in the middle of the floor, spreading its pages open to both his humiliation and the dog eared page of the joke he had told yesterday. Ikahan picked it up, a devilish smile on his face as he looked up at Shinwoo. "You don't come up with your own jokes!" (4min)

**22 **

**For all the reasons to change sides, this one was the worst. **Karias slipped through the barrier surrounding Lukedonia as carefully as he could, as quietly. It would be best if not one else joined him. Their escape was already bordering treason.

"Haaaaa…" He sighed and looked over at her again, repeating the words that he had already said a thousand times. "That is the worst reason to switch sides. Go back to the lord."

Rosaria shook her head, ignoring him now as she had done before. "Someone has to look after you." (5min)

**23 **

**He took a deep breath before giving his reply. **

"I don't know."

Every eye turned to him with accusation, but is was M-21 who voiced their question. "What do you mean you don't know?"

Frankenstein shook his head slowly, deliberately. "I don't know this time." (2 min)

**24 **

**Nothing had happened for a long time. **He didn't move. He couldn't, not even as those around him carried on their lives. Laughter rang out as Shinwoo blushed a shade remarkably similar to his hair, and the girls giggled at his embarrassment. Ikhan shoved the boy's shoulder as Shinwoo's head sank down to the table, too ashamed to meet their gazes. Rai looked away from the scene, seemingly uninterested, and stared into the bowl before him. It had been a long time, but he couldn't move on, not until the noodles in his ramen grew. (8min)

**25 **

**"The ground moved beneath his feet."**

"Those are not the lyrics." Ikhan frowned. "You should-"

"I see the sky come crashing down!"

"That's still wrong. The lyrics are-"

Suyi lowered the mic as she set one hand on her hip and glared across the room at him, not at all amused. "You think you can do better? Be my guest."

"Better, no, but I can at least get the lyrics right when they're written on the screen." He pointed at the monitor beside her and frowned as her read the words that it displayed. "It says…"

"It says exactly what I sang." She slapped the mic into his hand with a quizzical smile. "So, you're a Carole King fan, are you?"

"I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole King

**26 **

**"It was lying on the ground so I just brought it home." **Frankenstein stated rather simply as if such a thing was common place, as if this was the logical, natural solution for a man with his personality to fetch something from the gutter.

Tao watched him, waiting for him to announce it was a joke, but when he didn't, he ventured the question that lingered in all of their minds. "You found _that_ on the street?"

"Yes, of course." Frankenstein nodded, still not revealing any sign that this was a joke. "You seem astounded. Is there something you would like to say?"

"You found _that _on the street and just brought it home?"

"I cleaned it first." He said rather matter-of-factly. "Heaven knows where it's been."

"You really found Union records just lying in the street?

**27 **

**He always hated it when she did that. **He hated it when she did anything, but it was particularly irksome when she used those names for his boss. She didn't even know who she was speaking to. Yuriy smiled to smother his aggravation and tried to sound devoted as he shortly accepted her orders. At least with finding her another toy, Dr. Arith would be preoccupied, and he could be rid of her for a little while. (4min)

**28 **

**"I'm sorry."** A sharp intake of breath choked the words so that they were inaudible even to his own ears, and he stepped back from the shadow with mortification.

_Why you? _It followed his movement, clutching his arm in the darkness of its hand as more souls appears and tangled themselves around his limbs. _Why only you, Frankenstein? _(7min-I was thinking something along the lines of the first time he met the souls in DS.)

**28 (2) **

**"I'm sorry."**

The first particles broke away from his body and dissolved into light. Even in these last moments, especially in these last moments, he struggled to understand the man before him. Urokai strained to hold onto his life just long enough to for these last words. Not to speak them. He had already said too much. But to hear, to listen, to the last thing that man would ever say to him.

"I am sorry." He said again, leaving his voice to trail off but knowing that the time had come to speak. It had come long ago, but he had not said the words then. If he had spoken, if he had foregone his silence just once, then maybe one of them could have been saved. Maybe one of the traitors would have remained faithful, and how many of the others had turned because of him. "I'm sorry," he said again.

**29 **

**He closed the door behind them, **and he clicked the lock into place. "That won't hold him for long." Shinwoo looked at Ikhan with a pallid expression that was grave enough to kill all hope. "Through the window."

Ikhan pulled the curtains away and instantly glared back at his friend. "We're three stories up!"

"You got a better idea?" Shinwoo retorted sharply and flinched as something collided against the door on the other side. "He's here! Jump!"

"I'm not jumping!"

A second crash sent the door off its hinges. It struck Shinwoo in the back and pinned him to the ground.

**30 **

**In a single instant, everything fell down. **Yuna looked at Suyi. Suyi looked at Ikhan. Ikhan looked at Shinwoo, and Shinwoo looked back at Yuna. No one looked at Rai. Rai looked at the spilled tray of ramen. By the time he looked up again, everyone was looking at him.

Shinwoo leaned over to Yuna, "Do you think he knows how to clean it up? Usually Regis…"

"I don't know."

"It'd hurt his pride to ask him…"

(Unknown minutes-I left partway through it.)


End file.
